Jaguar Land Rover owner ‘seeks £500m UK subsidy to build battery factory’

Report says Tata Motors approached Britain's government as group weighs up site in Somerset or Spain

Jaguar Land Rover's owner, Tata Motors, has reportedly asked the UK government for more than 500m in state subsidies to build a battery factory in Somerset, in a move seen as crucial to the future of the British car industry.

Tata, the Indian conglomerate that owns Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has asked for the money in the form of grants and support packages such as assistance for energy costs and research funding, the Guardian understands.